Guatemala arrests former president

Guatemalanauthorities yesterday arrested a former president, Alvaro Colom, andnine ministers from his 2008-12 government on corruption charges, a topprosecutor said.Colom, 66, was taken into custody at his home in anupmarket district of the capital, the head of the special anti-graftprosecution unit, Juan Francisco Sandoval, said.The allegations against him and his former ministers related to graft in the public transport system.Theex-president told reporters as he was brought to the main courtbuilding in Guatemala City that he was confident of being exonerated.“Iam certain this will turn out without foundation... For us, everythingis legal,” Colom said. “I am confident that everything we did wascorrect,” he said.Colom was in power for four years from 2008. Hewas succeeded in 2012 by Oscar Perez who is in jail pending trial over aseparate corruption scandal.Guatemala’s current president, JimmyMorales, was elected in 2015 on his promise to clean up rampant graft inthe Central American country. But he too has come under scrutiny forsuspected wrongdoing.Last month, the country’s chief prosecutor,Thelma Aldana, said she did not see Morales “as an ally in the fightagainst corruption.”Morales triggered a public and politicalbacklash last year when he tried to boot out the Colombian head of anUN-backed anti-corruption body that has been instrumental in bringingscrutiny to bear on graft cases in the country.Colom and the othersuspects are accused of fraud and embezzlement in the 2009 purchase ofhundreds of buses to ply routes in the capital, Sandoval said.Four companies were given 25-year government contracts to run the services.The buses were allegedly bought at inflated prices.